Saudi Arabia’s MATARAT Holding and the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP) announced on Tuesday the launch of Request for Proposals (RFP) for the new Taif International Airport project in the Makkah Province. 

Four consortia and one standalone company have been prequalified to bid for the project, according to a statement posted by Matarat and NCP in December 2025.

The shortlisted bidders were:

  • Consortium of Turkey’s Kalyon İnşaat and Saudi Arabia’s AlBawani Capital
  • Consortium of Saudi Arabia’s MADA International Holding and Turkey’s TAV Airports
  • Consortium of Saudi Arabia’s Tamasuk and India’s Bengaluru International Airport
  • Consortium of Saudi Arabia’s Vision Invest, Asyad and Ireland’s daa International
  • India’s GMR Group

The project is being procured under a Build-Transfer-Operate (BTO) contract for a period of 30 years inclusive of the construction period.

The deadline for submission of bids, and construction timelines weren’t disclosed.

A total of 90 companies, including 46 local companies had submitted expressions of interest for the project following the EOI invite issued in December 2024.

The new airport will be located 21 km southeast of the existing Taif Airport, with an initial capacity to accommodate 2.5 million passengers by 2030, with infrastructure built-to-scale to meet the projected increase in demand up to 2055.

Airport design

Previous statements by MATARAT and NCP have said the new airport  will feature a primary runway with full-length-parallel taxiway, a single commercial apron, a new capacity-matched passenger terminal building, facility buildings, utility networks, car parks, access roads, and expansions to meet future subsystem requirements.

The new Taif International Airport is anticipated to contribute to the economic development of Taif city and its surrounding areas and meet the needs of Umrah pilgrims as a viable alternative within the region's multi-airport system, which includes King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport in Madinah, and Prince Abdulmohsen bin Abdulaziz Airport in Yanbu.

On Wednesday, Riyadh Air, the Kingdom’s new national carrier, launched its first commercial flight on a brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport to London Heathrow (LHR).

(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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